WIOT ransomware virus is made to restrict computer user’s access to his/hers own files. For this task, it uses a combination of encryption algorithms that are typically used to secure information so that only the person who has the decryption key could access it. In this scenario, cybercriminals have this key and they threaten to keep victim’s files locked forever until a ransom is paid. They try to sell this key and decryption software for an enormous amount of money. It is nothing else than virtual extortion. The method used for data encryption needs to be speedy and completely lock all files on a computer before the victim notices, therefore the virus is designed to encrypt the first 150 KB of each files. Because of this, certain file formats can be repaired with some data loss at the beginning of file as explained in this guide. For instance, if you try to repair an audio file, some portion in the beginning of it will be missing after the file is repaired. The ransom note mentioned previously is called _readme.txt and a copy of it is placed into every folder containing encrypted files, including desktop. It explains that the victim can get a 50% discount on decryption service if the victim writes to the criminals within 72 hours. However, we also believe that the victim needs to purchase cryptocurrency worth $490 and transfer it to the criminals’ crypto-wallet. If the victim fails to do this within the first 3 days, WIOT decryption tool and key price remains $980. The ransom note also specifies that if the victim wants, one can test the decryption by sending one small encrypted file to criminals as an email attachment. The file, however, cannot contain any relevant information. Geek’s Advice team experts as well as other cybersecurity experts advise not to pay ransoms to cybercriminals. It is also confirmed by FBI recommendations. Some of the reasons why we do not recommend paying up are:

Paying the ransom never guarantees that you will recover your files successfully. The criminals can stop responding the minute you send your money to them;Each year, ransomware operators collect millions of dollars from victims who decide to pay up. The money is what keeps them going, besides, the idea of collecting money and remaining anonymous attracts a lot of people to become cybercriminals. Please, do not contribute to the growth of this illegal business model by paying ransom!In some countries, ransom payments are prohibited and can be considered illegal.Variants of STOP/DJVU ransomware such as WIOT virus often drop another malware piece on already infected systems. This threat is known as AZORULT Trojan and it falls into Remote Access Trojans (RATs) category because cybercriminals can use it as a tool to perform illegal actions on infected computer remotely.

REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE

How this ransomware works

Once WIOT ransomware gets into target computer system and gets launched, it first checks whether Internet connection is enabled and tries to connect to its Command&Control server to get an encryption key. Otherwise, it uses a hardcoded key instead. In other words, it decides whether to use online and offline encryption key (which usually can be identified by last two characters ending in t1). The virus then also generates unique identification string for the victim and saves it as well as the encryption key in text files on victim’s computer. Next, the ransomware launches a fake Windows update prompt with a progress bar on it (winupdate.exe). The idea behind this is to deceive the computer user and potentially force him/her to leave the computer until the alleged update finishes. At the same time, the main executable file, which is usually named with 4 random characters such as 5GB4.exe, starts scanning the entire system, looking for target file type, encrypting them and adding a new extension to the full file name. This process also drops ransom notes in every directory. To ensure that the victim won’t be able to recover files using System Restore Points, the virus runs a command-line task to delete Volume Shadow Copies from the system: vssadmin.exe Delete Shadows /All /Quiet Another malicious modification that this ransomware does is adding a list of domains to Windows HOSTS file. The virus maps these domains to localhost IP to cause a DNS resolution problem. As a result, the victim runs into DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN error when attempting to access one of listed websites. It has been noticed that the virus blocks access to various computer security related sites, also popular tech forums and self-help guides. In other words, the malware is designed to prevent the victim from accessing relevant ransomware attack related information online and cause even more stress for the computer user. Finally, WIOT ransomware drops AZORULT Trojan on the system, which is an illegal tool used to perform a variety of malicious activities on victim’s computer remotely. The ransomware doesn’t mention anything about this threat in the ransom note, but the Trojan can be used to:

Download various computer malware and running it;Take various login credentials, such as those of Telegram, Steam and other programs and send them to criminals;View or delete files on the victim’s computer;Steal cryptocurrency wallets and their contents;Steal browser-saved passwords, browser cookies, browsing history and more.

Access to such information can be easily used to blackmail the victim further. That said, we recommend you to not hesitate any longer and take actions to remove WIOT ransomware virus as well as other threats from the computer. We usually do not recommend users to delete malware manually. Using a professional antivirus solution can help to remove existing malware safely and quickly. Our team recommends using a VB100-certified software called INTEGO Antivirus and then download RESTORO to repair virus damage on Windows OS files.

Ransomware Summary

REPAIR VIRUS DAMAGE

Ransomware distribution techniques in detail

Ransomware is distributed using traditional malware proliferation methods. When it comes to STOP/DJVU ransomware variants such as WIOT virus, they tend to be hidden in fake software cracks or keygens and similar torrent downloads. The criminals create such files and upload them to dubious file sharing websites. Such files can be downloaded either directly or via peer-to-peer file sharing software. The primary targets of ransomware operators are people who try to install and activate paid software versions for free. What is even worse is that such computer users often go past security software alerts hoping to get these premium programs without paying. Unfortunately, this can lead to severe computer infection. Victims of the discussed ransomware strain have reported getting infected after downloading illegal activation tools for these popular programs:

Adobe Photoshop;Tenorshare 4ukey;League of Legends;Corel Draw;Cubase;Adobe Illustrator;Windows activation tools such as KMSPico.

Our team strongly recommends avoiding shady file sharing sites that promise premium software versions for free. We’d like to remind you that the only safe and legal way to get paid programs is by visiting their developer’s or official distributor’s website and downloading it from there, as well as purchasing legitimate software license. Remember that criminals offer free things for free in order to lure victims into downloading malware. Besides, the ransoms they will ask you will be much bigger than the price of the original software that you needed. Malicious email spam is yet another very popular technique that ransomware operators use for spreading virus’ variants. Typically, they get email lists using various leaked data archives, then create short messages urging the target to open the email attachments. Most of the time, they claim to be delivering an invoice, order details, payment information or parcel tracking details. To make the email appear even more convicing, scammers might use email spoofing techniques (these can help to display a different email address for the victim than the one that actually was used to send the message). Criminals typically use macros or malicious scripts to make the attached document malicious. These are designed to connect to a remote domain and download malware to victim’s computer and later execute it. For this reason, we strongly recommend you to avoid opening emails that you did not expect to receive or those that get marked as spam immediately. Remember that your email filtering system might not successfully flag all dangerous emails as spam, therefore you need to be cautious at all times. When in doubt, make sure you check with the company that allegedly sent you the email whether the email is legitimate and its attachments are safe to open. TIP: never use the contact details provided in suspicious emails – better look up the company online and use contact details provided there to avoid contacting a potential criminal. Finally, victims of STOP/DJVU variants should be careful when looking for data decryption solutions or tools online. Criminals behind other ransomware strains (such as ZORAB) are trying to leverage the success of this ransomware and try to push their own malware disguised as STOP/DJVU decryption tools. If you happen to download such tool, your files can get double-encrypted. Please remember that once a real decryption tool appears, it will be mentioned in all the popular and trustworthy cybersecurity websites. Do not expect to find a “gem” decryption solution on the 5th page of your search engine results page.

Remove WIOT Ransomware Virus and Decrypt Your Files

Nobody wants to become a victim of ransomware attack, however, once this happens, it is important to delete the malware from the computer and take actions to secure your computer from further attacks. For this reason we strongly recommend you to remove WIOT ransomware virus along with other threats it could have dragged to your system. For this matter, we recommend using a powerful antivirus solution to cleanse your computer automatically. Our advice is to use INTEGO Antivirus, a VB100 certified antivirus that can protect your from ransomware attacks and prevent you from accessing dangerous websites or downloads. Additionally, we suggest downloading RESTORO to repair virus damage on Windows OS files. If you have already taken care of WIOT ransomware virus removal, now it is time to do the following steps:

Register an Internet crime incident to your local authority responsible for handling such cases. You can find some references below the article.If you had a data backup, use it to restore your files, although remember that you must completely remove viruses off your computer first.Follow all the given instructions to decrypt or repair files affected by STOP/DJVU versions.We also recommend changing your passwords, especially for websites that you save login credentials for in your browser.

OUR GEEKS RECOMMEND Our team recommends a two-step rescue plan to remove ransomware and other remaining malware from your computer, plus repair caused virus damage to the system: GeeksAdvice.com editors select recommended products based on their effectiveness. We may earn a commission from affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Learn more. Get INTEGO ANTIVIRUS for Windows to remove ransomware, Trojans, adware and other spyware and malware variants and protect your PC and network drives 24/7. This VB100-certified security software uses state-of-art technology to provide protection against ransomware, Zero-Day attacks and advanced threats, Intego Web Shield blocks dangerous websites, phishing attacks, malicious downloads and installation of potentially unwanted programs. Use INTEGO Antivirus to remove detected threats from your computer. Read full review here. RESTORO provides a free scan that helps to identify hardware, security and stability issues and presents a comprehensive report which can help you to locate and fix detected issues manually. It is a great PC repair software to use after you remove malware with professional antivirus. The full version of software will fix detected issues and repair virus damage caused to your Windows OS files automatically. RESTORO uses AVIRA scanning engine to detect existing spyware and malware. If any are found, the software will eliminate them. Read full review here.

Method 1. Enter Safe Mode with Networking

Before you try to remove WIOT Ransomware Virus virus, you must start your computer in Safe Mode with Networking. Below, we provide the easiest ways to boot PC in the said mode, but you can find additional ones in this in-depth tutorial on our website – How to Start Windows in Safe Mode. Also, if you prefer a video version of the tutorial, check our guide How to Start Windows in Safe Mode on Youtube. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users Now, you can search for and remove WIOT Ransomware Virus files. It is very hard to identify files and registry keys that belong to the ransomware virus, Besides, malware creators tend to rename and change them repeatedly. Therefore, the easiest way to uninstall such type of a computer virus is to use a reliable security program such as INTEGO Antivirus. For virus damage repair, consider using RESTORO.

Method 2. Use System Restore

In order to use System Restore, you must have a system restore point, created either manually or automatically. Instructions for Windows XP/Vista/7 users Instructions for Windows 8/8.1/10/11 users After restoring the system, we recommend scanning the system with antivirus or anti-malware software. In most cases, there won’t be any malware remains, but it never hurts to double-check. In addition, we highly recommend checking ransomware prevention guidelines provided by our experts in order to protect your PC against similar viruses in the future.

Alternative software recommendations

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Removing spyware and malware is one step towards cybersecurity. To protect yourself against ever-evolving threats, we strongly recommend purchasing a Premium version of Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which provides security based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Includes ransomware protection. See pricing options and protect yourself now.

System Mechanic Ultimate Defense If you’re looking for an all-in-one system maintenance suite that has 7 core components providing powerful real-time protection, on-demand malware removal, system optimization, data recovery, password manager, online privacy protection and secure driver wiping technology. Therefore, due to its wide-range of capabilities, System Mechanic Ultimate Defense deserves Geek’s Advice approval. Get it now for 50% off. You may also be interested in its full review.

Disclaimer. This site includes affiliate links. We may earn a small commission by recommending certain products, at no additional cost for you. We only choose quality software and services to recommend.

Decrypt WIOT files

Fix and open large WIOT files easily:

It is reported that STOP/DJVU ransomware versions encrypt only the beginning 150 KB of each file to ensure that the virus manages to affect all files on the system. In some cases, the malicious program might skip some files at all. That said, we recommend testing this method on several big (>1GB) files first.

STOP/DJVU decryption tool usage guide

STOP/DJVU ransomware versions are grouped into old and new variants. WIOT Ransomware Virus is considered the new STOP/DJVU variant, just like BPTO, ISWR, ISZA, BPSM, ZOUU, MBTF, ZNSM (find full list here). This means full data decryption is now possible only if you have been affected by offline encryption key. To decrypt your files, you will have to download Emsisoft Decryptor for STOP DJVU, a tool created and maintained by a genius security researcher Michael Gillespie. Note! Please do not spam the security researcher with questions whether he can recover your files encrypted with online key - it is not possible. In order to test the tool and see if it can decrypt WIOT files, follow the given tutorial.

Meanings of decryptor’s messages

The WIOT decryption tool might display several different messages after failed attempt to restore your files. You might receive one of the following messages: Error: Unable to decrypt file with ID: [example ID] This message typically means that there is no corresponding decryption key in the decryptor’s database. No key for New Variant online ID: [example ID]Notice: this ID appears to be an online ID, decryption is impossible This message informs that your files were encrypted with online key, meaning no one else has the same encryption/decryption key pair, therefore data recovery without paying the criminals is impossible. Result: No key for new variant offline ID: [example ID]This ID appears to be an offline ID. Decryption may be possible in the future. If you were informed that an offline key was used, but files could not be restored, it means that the offline decryption key isn’t available yet. However, receiving this message is extremely good news, meaning that it might be possible to restore your WIOT extension files in the future. It can take a few months until the decryption key gets found and uploaded to the decryptor. We recommend you to follow updates regarding the decryptable DJVU versions here. We strongly recommend backing up your encrypted data and waiting.

Victims of WIOT Ransomware Virus should report the Internet crime incident to the official government fraud and scam website according to their country:

In the United States, go to the On Guard Online website.In Australia, go to the SCAMwatch website.In Germany, go to the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik website.In Ireland, go to the An Garda Síochána website.In New Zealand, go to the Consumer Affairs Scams website.In the United Kingdom, go to the Action Fraud website.In Canada, go to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.In India, go to Indian National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.In France, go to the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information.

If you can’t find an authority corresponding to your location on this list, we recommend using any search engine to look up “[your country name] report cyber crime”. This should lead you to the right authority website. We also recommend staying away from third-party crime report services that are often paid. It costs nothing to report Internet crime to official authorities. Another recommendation is to contact your country’s or region’s federal police or communications authority.